The present invention relates to an indicator for alerting users that the paper remaining in a paper towel dispenser is low. In particular, the indicator is for use with a dispenser that houses an upright coreless roll of paper towels that are dispensed from an inner periphery of the roll.
It is conventional to dispense paper towels from an upright roll, i.e., a roll whose center axis is oriented vertically. The center of the roll is coreless, so the paper can be pulled from the inner periphery of the roll, i.e., usually downwardly through a hole formed in a floor of a dispenser housing.
Therefore, the radial thickness of the roll gradually diminishes from a roll inner periphery toward a roll outer periphery. Eventually, only a very small radial thickness of the roll remains. It would be desirable for the user to be informed when the paper reserve is low.
Low-reserve indicators have been previously proposed for paper towel dispensers of the type wherein individual towels are arranged in a vertical stack (see U.S. Pat. No. 1,738,721), or in a horizontal roll (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,601,956 and 3,273,773). However, such indicators are not suitable to a vertically oriented roll, let alone a coreless roll whose towels are pulled from the inner periphery of the roll.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a low-reserve indicator for a paper towel dispenser of the type wherein the towels are dispensed from the inner periphery of an upright coreless roll.
It would also be desirable to provide such an indicator which is adaptable to rolls of different height and outer diameter.
The present invention involves a paper towel dispenser which is adapted for containing an upright roll of paper towels having an inner periphery exposed in use from which the towels are dispensed. The dispenser includes a dispenser housing having a wall structure that forms an inner chamber adapted to support the upright roll. The wall structure includes a vertically open dispensing aperture therein for dispensing towels from the roll inner periphery. A low-reserve indicator mechanism is affixed to the dispenser housing within the chamber for indicating when a remaining quantity of towels in the roll is low. The indicator mechanism includes an indicator and a release mechanism. The indicator is mounted for movement between a retracted position and an indicating position for establishing a low-reserve indication which is detectible from outside of the dispenser housing. The release mechanism is adapted to be supported upon an upper end of the roll adjacent an outer periphery thereof. The release mechanism is movable downwardly in response to becoming unsupported by a diminishing radial thickness of the roll. The release mechanism is operably connected to the indicator to cause the indicator to move to its indicating position in response to the release mechanism moving downwardly.
The invention also pertains to the low-reserve indicator per se.